


Thirteen's a Crowd

by PsychicBananaSplit



Category: Original Work, The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Abandonment, Bisexual Male Character, Canonical Character Death, Character Death, Gay Male Character, Incest, Multi, Non-Canonical Character Death, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Past Mind Control, Portals, Shapeshifting, Sibling Bonding, Sibling Incest, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Slow To Update, Teleportation, Time Travel, Trust Issues, im going to start using that tag, these are just the ones i can think of off the top of my head
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-14
Updated: 2019-08-30
Packaged: 2019-11-17 19:28:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,953
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18104939
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PsychicBananaSplit/pseuds/PsychicBananaSplit
Summary: On the twelfth hour of the first day of October, 1989, forty-three woman around the world gave birth. This was unusual, because none of these woman had been pregnant when the day first began.Sir Reginald Hargreeves, eccentric billionaire and adventurer, resolved to locate and adopt as many of the children as possible. He got seven of them. The rest, you already know.But what of the other thirty-six infants born on that day? Most of them surely died, as well as others forcibly taken from their families and being privately disposed of.Though many died, six babies were willingly left to the care of the United States’ government, being promised a sufficient food source, water supply, home, medical finances, education, and having a reliable protection system.These six children were left to the care of Agent Alejandro Gonzalez, and grew up to protect people in danger when the Umbrella Academy couldn’t.After they go back in time, the Umbrella Academy was thrown into a string of absurd events compared to what just happened. There are others? Who are they? What can they do?There are some universe-jumpers here? Where did they come from?





	1. Introductions

**Author's Note:**

> Alright, a few things.  
> Number one: If you haven’t noticed this in the show yet, none of the main characters have mobile phones. So, the characters’ communication mostly consists of emails, because I don’t know if laptops exist either. :/  
> Number two: Luther and Five aren’t related in this. And, plus, I don’t think that they ever will be (in the show at least) because they look nothing like each other in the flashbacks to when they were kids, so. Yeah. (I know that this might be due to finding the right actors at the right time, but, I mean, really)  
> Number three: I don’t really know how this universe works, in case you haven’t noticed. So, if some rural area in Ohio doesn’t exist there, and if the FBI doesn’t either, then just go with it.  
> Anyway, let’s get on with it.
> 
> Honey, you’ve got a big storm comin’. *poses*

The dates are when they were left at the government’s doorsteps, by the way. 

Characters: 

Oliver Wilson (10/3/89); Ability: Teleportation, Time-travel, Future Readings; Origin: Manchester, England; Biological Relations: Mary-Ann Wilson (Mother), Natalie Wilson (Older Sister) (DECEASED), twin (brother)?

Joseph Lee (11/7/89); Ability: Shadowshaping? Darkness Control? (UNIDENTIFIED); Origin: Salem, Oregon. US; Biological Relations: Carrie Lee (Mother) (DECEASED)

Liam Ahn (10/2/89); Ability: Living Portal(?)(Creatures under his skin); Origin: (Anonymously Given) South Korea; Biological Relations: (UNKNOWN)

Gwyneth Allaire-Dubois (12/13/89); Ability: Earth Element Control; Origin: Quebec, Canada; Biological Relations: Charlotte Allaire (Mother)(DECEASED)

Matthew Harris (10/21/89); Ability; Shapeshifting; Origin: Houston, Texas; Biological Relations: Martha Harris (Mother)

Avery Smith (10/3/89); (DECEASED)

 

Side Characters:

Agent Alejandro Gonzalez: Fifty-eight years old in the present day, he was in his late twenties when these children were left in his care. He was sort of a surrogate father to them.

Thomas Crane: A normally born child who had the ability to read minds. He was given to this group on the account that his single father was mad at him for knowing that he cheated on his wife. He was born on September ninth, 1994, to Anna Crane and Jason Pointer.

Billie Amber: Caretaker for the children when Gonzalez wasn’t around, due to his job as an FBI agent. Two years older than Gonzalez, she also serves as a surrogate mother, and the children’s therapist. 

Then, the actual Umbrella Academy. 

 


	2. Happy Families of Superpowered Children is an Overused Trope in Fiction

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yes, i'm working on the series i started. chill out. if you don't know who i am, then, well, now you do, i guess. i promise, the next chap will be out soon, to anyone and everyone who has seen my works.  
> also, i plan on using vine references in every chapter of this series, because, why not?
> 
> the plans are cancelled? oh, what a bummer, i was really looking forward to it. maybe next time.  
> *is already in bed, happily reading a book and being a general hermit*

On the twelfth hour of the first day of October, 1989, forty-three women around the world gave birth. This was unusual, because none of these women had been pregnant when the day first began. 

Sir Reginald Hargreeves, eccentric billionaire and adventurer, resolved to locate and adopt as many of the children as possible. He got seven of them. The rest, you already know.

But what of the other thirty-six infants born on that day? Most of them surely died, as well as others forcibly taken from their families and being privately disposed of. 

Though many died, six babies were willingly left to the care of the United States’ government, being promised a sufficient food source, water supply, home, medical finances, education, and having a reliable protection system. 

These six children were left to the care of Agent Alejandro Gonzalez, and grew up to protect people in danger when the Umbrella Academy couldn’t.

As you probably assumed, this is what happened to them the week before the world ended. 

~~~

**(3/20/19)From Gwen: Hey, family meeting. Something important. Meet us at Coffee Bean.**

**From Gwen: Tell Liam.**

Joey was tugging on some jeans when he got the email. Stood there, staring at his screen for a few minutes and trying to think of a response before rousing Liam from his sleep. He blearily blinked the sleep out of his eyes, the creatures under his skin stirring awake as well. The wound up dragon on his forearm winked at Joey, making him grin.

“Wha’? I’s,” Liam glanced at the clock. “Sev’n ‘n th’ m’rnin’.” He’s a deep sleeper, that’s for sure. 

“We gotta go to a team reunion. Do you remember where Coffee Bean is?”

“...Yeah.”

“Good, ‘cause I don’t.”

He propped himself up on his elbows, facing Joey, and causing the bedspread to fall off his shoulders lightly. Tentacles, teeth and everything in between were imprinted on his skin, writhing, dancing under the flesh, the sinewy muscles. While Joey was the taller of the two, Liam was more muscular. He’s not a bodybuilder, by any means. But he’s much different in appearance, in all aspects, to the tall, lithe, pale wiry mess named Joseph Lee. 

Hickeys were prominent against naturally tan skin, and purple-red fingerprints around his neck were still very visible from last night’s encounter. 

“I had fun last night,” Liam said, practically reading his mind. He wiggled his eyebrows seductively.

Joey, in turn, smirked and threw a shirt at Liam’s general direction. “Get dressed, we need to get going.”

~~~

Matt, on the other hand, had been coincidentally having tea with Thomas at the time of his computer chiming. 

“Yo, we need to go to a family meeting at Coffee Bean.”

Thomas’ chromebook dinged as well. “Meeting?” Thomas looked over his glasses incredulously. “What could be so important for you guys? I mean,” he put his hands up in defense and shrugged. “You’d think that this type of stuff would happen to the Academy.”

Matthew quickly gathered his stuff, slamming his laptop shut and stuffing it in his bag and holding his half-eaten bagel in his mouth. “Yeah, well, saving the world awaits nobody,” he said, then paced out the door with the bell ringing behind him.

Thomas sighed and decided to go too. There was no harm in it. Saving the world awaits nobody, after all.

~~~

“Are we sure that they’ll even come?” Oliver asked. Gwen continued clicking through the stations on the TV, shrugging.

“I mean, if they don’t I totally understand. We haven’t exactly been the best family, surprisingly enough. And, from what I know, they all live  _ far  _ away from here.” Rural Ohio, in their defense, was not their first choice of a home. The amount of sarcasm in her tone was astonishing. 

_ Schwoop.  _ Oliver teleported to the front window to watch for their arrivals. A few minutes later;  _ Schwoop.  _ He went to the cabinets to get tea bags and a mug of water. Deciding against it half-way through the action, another  _ schwoop  _ was audible when he went back to the window. 

“Stop that,” Gwen snapped. “You’ll burn out for a stupid reason. And sleep for  _ fourteen fucking hours.” _

“That was one time!” Oliver shouted from his place at the window. “And, to be fair, it got me to sleep during the nighttime, for a change. You should’ve been thankful for it.”

Gwen rolled her eyes and proceeded to try to find something at least relatively interesting on the TV, but she wasn’t really paying attention. Oliver had had a dream again. One of his readings. She can’t get the message out of her head. I mean, it’s a lot to wrap her head around it in the first place. 

Gravel crunching in the driveway caught her ever floating attention. 

Oliver didn’t look back at her when he said that it was Liam and Joey.

~~~

_ “It’s Liam and Joey! Liam and Joey are back!” Ten year old Thomas Crane ran through the halls of their massive home with a cheerful message to everyone. With three bathrooms, ten bedrooms, a great living room, kitchen, dining room, and more than enough staircases to pull them all together, it was a wonder how he doesn’t trip over a huge rug, let alone find his way around the place.  _

_ At his call, Matthew and Gwen ran down the stairs ruggedly, trying to push each other off of the staircase and arguing about who would capture them in the biggest group hug first. They ended up stumbling, and landing in a tangled heap on the floor, maybe a bloody nose from Matthew and a couple of black eyes for Gwen left for them. Unlike the other two fifteen-year-olds, Oliver and Avery took careful steps down the stairs, stepping over them and giving a nervous chuckle.  _

_ “Hey, I thought I told you to refrain from reading minds, Thomas.” Agent Gonzalez paced over to the door, ignoring the disaster at the bottom of the stairs, and looking around for Thomas in exasperation before realizing that he was at his own feet. Even though his tone was strict, his warm chocolate eyes shone with pride, with the touch of annoyance from Thomas’ actions. _

_ Thomas looked briefly confused. “I didn’t.” He pointed out the window. “I heard them talking outside.” _

_ Alejandro blanched, and Oliver smirked at the reply. “I mean, you gotta stop blaming these things on him, man. He can’t help it. And, he’s right. They aren’t the quietest of the bunch,” he gestured over to the door, and it could be very clearly heard, although muffled, that Joey and Liam were outside with Billie. _

_ “Master Liam, Master Joseph, do you want me to take your luggage inside?” _

_ “I told you once, and I’ll tell you again, Miss Amber, to call me Joey. None of that ‘Master’ business! We’re all friendly faces and family here!” _

_ “Well, I would ask the same of you, Master Jose- Joey, call me Billie.” The caretaker was fumbling around with the keys.  _

_ “Come on guys, just call each other your regularly called names and get inside, it’s cold.” _

_ “Liam, don’t rush us!” _

_ “I’ll rush you when I want to, Joey.” _

_ “It’s called socializing, you hermit, it cannot be rushed.” _

_ “If it costs the tips of my fingers and toes, I don’t want to be part of it.” _

_ “......Killjoy.” _

_ Just then the door opened and their arguing ceased, smiling at their friends in the room. Joey wheezed at the sight of the two troublemakers at the bottom of the stairs, doubling over with coughing and laughing at the same time. _

_ “I fear that Master Joseph has no less than a cold, Agent. I tried to convince him to go straight to his room and bundle up once inside, but,” she glanced at Joey, then back at the agent, “You know how boys can get.” Alejandro laughed heartily.  _

_ “Yes, yes, I was the same way at his age. Even if I had pneumonia, I would still want to play outside.” He relieved Billie’s arms of some of the luggage she had taken inside, always refusing to go for a second trip. “And Joey’s right, Billie. There’s no more need to call us Masters and Miss’ any longer.” He smiled warmly at the servant, his own face blushing as slightly as hers did. Granted, he had dark skin, and it was easier to hide on him. Unlike Billie, who had the disadvantage to have pale, freckled skin with her red mane of hair. She grinned back sheepishly.  _

_ “Thank you, Agent. Alejandro, I mean.” The redhead swiftly took off her winter garments and hung them on the hooks by the doors, taking a few suitcases and sweeping them off to their respective owners’ rooms.  _

_ In all his thirty-one years of life, he has never met such a woman as Billie Amber. Maybe it was because she could handle seven children all at once with do drawback, or the fact she was trained in three different martial arts is what captivated him.  _

_ His thoughts were shaken when Joey and Liam pounded up the stairs to their rooms. Avery and Thomas went up with them. Gwen and Matthew shook themselves from the shock of banging their heads against the floor and decided to give Liam and Joey a group hug. Only Oliver stayed behind, looking at the agent with a strange expression. _

_ “You like Billie.” He said it with such a factual tone than Alejandro spluttered before replying out quickly. _

_ “No, I am just… admiring her, is all.” Oliver smiled all knowingly. He was a creepy kid sometimes, to be honest. He always seemed like the oldest of the group-mentally, but, still. _

_ “Hmmm, sure.” His eyes, elder than his fifteen year-old frame, held a humorous sheen to them when he smirked back. _

_ ~~~ _

“Hey, Gwen,” Joey murmured, hugging her tight against his chest, squeezing in one of their signature hugs. 

“Hey, Joe,” Gwen whispered back.

Liam and Oliver gave each other a friendly handshake, asking how things were going, how they were doing, the like. Once they gave the handshake they quickly retreated their limbs back into their pockets awkwardly. 

“Matt and Thomas will be later than usual, apparently they were on a tour. They said they’ll be here in around two hours. In the mean time,” he  _ schwooped  _ again, and just about when Gwen was going to tell him off again he came back with a couple bottles of wine from the cellar, and she shut her mouth. 

“Wanna get wasted before the end of the world?” He smirked. 

  
  
  
  
  
  



	3. The Apocalypse is coming in Twelve Days

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Why was Oliver saying that they couldn’t stop whatever force was coming to end the world? Is the fabric of time really that fragile?   
> Or was it them?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello.  
> this took a little while to get out, on account of the other series, my book that i'm writing and homework. if this seems a little rushed, it's because of those things.

“The Apocalypse is coming in twelve days, and I can’t stop it.” 

Tom gaped. “What the actual fuck, Oliver?” Their reactions were priceless. 

Joey drank down the rest of his wine (inside the biggest wine glass they owned, not that that offers any consolation) in one, very audible gulp. “Okay, so, hold up, let me get this straight,” he leaned on the edge of his seat on the couch. “You had a reading, which you  _ assume _ is the apocalypse that one of the  _ Academy _ started?” Oliver nodded, and Joey shakes his head disbelievingly. “Okay then. Totally not much of a stretch there, I reckon,” he poured another huge glass of wine, draining the bottle and chugging it with a few swallows. Liam pushed his hands back down and rubbed his back. 

“It’s not really that improbable. I mean, they are like us. And I think that we are pretty capable of destroying humanity as it is, what, with the shadow-bending and time-travel. I can turn into  _ any animal,  _ that has  _ ever existed.”  _ Matt pointed out. “Well, scratch that, I can’t turn into anything too big, but I could turn into something that could spreads incurable disease that existed before humans did.” 

“You’re too drunk to speak logistics. Settle down, Matt.” Tom fiddled with his glasses.  

“The biggest question we should ask is: what are we going to do about it? Why are we just lying here like a bunch of sitting ducks about to get shot?” Oliver looked over at Gwen sadly, his elbows leaning on his knees and  hands holding an empty glass that once held deep amber liquid.

“I can’t do anything, Gwen. I saw it as it will be, no matter what we would try to stop it. If we do anything now, it will always result in the apocalypse. There’s no possible way to stop this unless we go way back in time and,” he paused. “And preventing us being born in the first place. Because the apocalypse would always happen at the hands of one of the children of those forty-three women on that day.”

~~~

_ A bloodcurdling scream emits from the kitchen, and everyone rushes in, tripping on each other’s heels. Gonzalez tries to calm Avery down from a distance as her hands are flailing around and  _ flaming.  _ With actual  _ fire.  _ What the  _ fuck? 

_ The thirteen-year-olds scatter to the wall, gripping onto the wall and sliding back out the door. Joey is hugging onto Liam, and Matt accidentally turns into a hedgehog and curls up nervously.  _

_ Avery stands still, at once, her eyes as wide as the moon is round and her skin pale as the fire keeps whipping around on the tips of her fingers. “I-I-I d-don’t kno-know how..” She trailed off, yelping a little as the flames lick down her hands and to her wrists, circling around them. She looks frantic as she stares at the agent, the blue fire falling down her arms like liquid. She feels like she can’t breath; there isn’t any smoke, there isn’t any heat, but her veins are burning with searing hot blood. Red flashes behind her eyes, and she closes them.  _

_ As Gonzalez is trying to comfort her, Avery lowers her hands and the fire catches onto a roll of paper towels, startling her back into reality and freaking out. The flaming ball of paper is thrown into the sink, it’s turned on, and the fire is put out. _

_ Joey’s hand is outstretched, the shadows curled around it going out and writhing around the marble counter-top. Liam clutches onto his friend, staring in awe at the display of his powers in such intensity. _

_ In a fast movement, Gonzalez takes Avery’s forearm and injects a needle with a mysterious drug, settling her down into a fit-less sleep. The fire prancing on the top of her nails disperses, floating away into the air with few sparks.  _

_ “Great job, Joe,” he says, and Joey smiles a little at the praise. _

~~~

The mood of the meeting has dimmed down considerably since Oliver’s announcement. Thomas is talking in the kitchen with said person and Gwen. Matt is leaning on the door frame, right hand on his hip and his left holding a stemless glass of deep crimson Merlot. Joey and Liam stay huddled together on the couch, the first’s knees pulled up to his chest and the latter’s arm gently caressing the spot between his shoulder-blades. The creatures squirmed under his skin with the anxiety and the hopelessness of the situation he was feeling. 

“I’m not gonna let you guys die, obviously,” Oliver says. “We just need to come up with a plan to get out of this before something happens to us.”

Gwen, exasperatedly, sighs and shrugs. “Oh, I have a few ideas, maybe  _ time-travelling right now and not worrying about it?”  _

“If we go now, we might affect the timeline. We can’t.”

“What about you telling us that whatever we’ll do, it’ll just contribute to the end of the world, huh? If we go now, it’ll happen exactly as planned.”

“He’s right.” Gwen whipped around to stare at Thomas. “If we go now, time will fold in on itself. Number Five is still out there, either in the past or the future, right?” He gestures all around the group of people. “Oliver and Five are both ‘natural travelers’. If one goes back in time, the other can’t before he is done doing it. Especially since their  _ twins.  _ It could go horribly wrong, even if they did so  _ with  _ a briefcase.” Gwen huffed, rolled her eyes and crossed her arms across her chest. 

“I don’t understand.” She blew her short hair from her face, the brown locks catching the light, slightly shining a russet red-brown instead.

“I wouldn’t expect you to.” Oliver huffed as well.

“What the  _ fuck  _ is that supposed to mean?”

“Well, you aren’t exactly skilled in this form of work, are you? And, last time I checked, you only had one brain cell that you shared with Matt-”

_ “Hey!”  _ Matt and Gwen say at once, straightening their postures and furrowing their eyebrows. 

“Just saying!” Oliver takes another drink from his glass, pouring the rest of it’s contents down his throat and placing the cup in the sink with a plonk. He  _ schwooped  _ out of the kitchen, leaving a couple of very frustrated adults and Thomas. 

~~~

_ “You can do it, Oliver, I know you can,” Gonzalez coaches on. Oliver is in the middle of the field, in the middle of the summer, sweat pouring down his neck and soaking the black shirt he regretfully put on that morning. His eyes are scrunched up in concentration, his body tense and his hands pulling at the waistband of his jeans. His task; teleporting from one outfit into another. And, no, he wasn’t allowed to change into it regularly. He threw his hands in the air with frustration.  _

_ “When would I ever do this, Al? I just change like a normal human being in the morning!” Gonzalez dips his head down, muffling chuckles into his chest. Oliver becomes increasingly more infuriated. “I’m glad one of us finds this enjoyable!” He starts to stomp over towards the door, but the agent stops him.  _

_ “Okay, okay, fair enough,” he breathes out a laugh, and Oliver’s too-old frown deepens on his thirteen-year-old face. “Why don’t we practice for another twenty minutes, then we’ll have lunch, alright?” The time-jumper’s face tightens still, but he sighs, closing his eyes and agrees to the notion. _

_ “Okay. Okay, just as long as I get  _ three  _ bowls of ice cream.” He smirks.  _

_ Damn, this kid knows how to play his cards well. _

_ “One.” _

_ “Three.” _

_ “One and a half.” _

_ “Two and a lesser amount of time.” _

_ “Two, and that’s my final offer.” Oliver’s eyes narrow.  _

_ “Fine, old man.”  _

_ “Hey, I’m not old, for your information I’m forty-one years old this weekend.” _

~~~

Joey finds the darkness soothing. It dances on his fingertips, worming it’s way around Liam’s wrists, Liam’s waist, Liam’s…..you know. It twists itself around his arms like bracelets, turns his hands, crafted into soft, petal-like touches from piano into sharp weapons of destruction. Ropes, needles, swords, knives, bullets; it can be formed like clay into all of them. 

Liam’s skin was infested with creatures from the same realm as the shadows came from. The Shadow World. Dragons and wolves and mermaids and wendigos and bats and murderous beasts of prey from down below. He could summon them out of his body to become one of the living, battling and taking down several robbers and murderers and beasts of prey. 

Thomas could read minds. Matt could, yes, turn into any animal he wanted (with the exception of the sizes of germs and under, and whales and over), Gwen could grow  _ trees  _ from her  _ fingers.  _

So, why was Oliver saying that they couldn’t stop whatever force was coming to end the world? Is the fabric of time really that fragile? 

Or was it them? 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	4. Author's Note

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> announcements about this work.

alright, so i know it's been a while. as you can see i've been busy with other projects, and i vowed myself to not focus as much attention on tua until the second season is out. but i'm weak, and i needed to clear things up and alert the people interested in this fic (which isn't a lot, lol).

first, i'm thinking of rewriting the couple chapters i already have. i look back on them and cringe h e a v i l y at the unorganized plot and evident disregard to planning of any way. i wrote this on a whim, and i regret not putting in as much effort as i could have. i've also done some more brainstorming on original characters that could be written into tua, and it wouldn't make much sense if i introduced them right now. i'm itching for a new feel for this fic. the character would be kinda like an allison/klaus mashup; someone who doesn't want to use their powers because they hurt, even kill people close to them, and decides to deal with it in destructive ways.

i might keep the other characters previous to this note, joey and liam especially (because i'm planning for something big for them), maybe gwen. 

second, don't expect frequent updates. i just started a new school and still need to work on other fics and projects as well. not gonna lie, it's been really stressful; juggling school and work and ao3 at the same time. i'm going to aim to update at least one fic every week, just stay tuned for what day it is. probably the weekend. i have a bad ear infection and fever right now, and i might not seem entirely coherent, but that's why i'm posting right now. 

and, third, i encourage those that are interested in this kind of thing to comment. that would be the best way to make sure that it's in your, the reader's, content that you want from me. if you don't, that's fine, it won't stop me from continuing, but i want people to tell me if they want this or not so i can keep up with the content they want.

ok. i'm done with my rant.

anyway, stay tuned for more works! i'm so grateful for my readers who, honestly, push me to keep writing. for a long time in my life i was very discouraged in my abilities and never attempted to share my stories publicly, outside of english homework. thank you for literally everything.

 

if you're into shitposting, you can find me on tumblr at candidcamera

if you're interested in the same thing, you can find my twitter @radish96438897 (candidcamera)

wow, i'm doing self-promo now, i really am a business-


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